The mix-and-match movement is catching on in the world of nail art and the latest to emerge this season is the gradient manicure. Simply put, every finger on the hand gets a different colour. It’s the polar opposite of monochrome as it creates a tiny gradient on the fingertips. Mix-and-match, ombré, simply gradient—whatever you want to call the trend, it’s blowing up across the world. At the Milan Fashion Week in February this year, models catwalked with rainbow nails, using the classic VIBGYOR shades as inspiration for a manicure made up of five different bright shades.
Ruchita Koli, in-house make-up artist (MUA) at MyGlamm, says, “The gradient manicure is definitely a big trend this season. While it gained peak popularity in spring, what we love about the trend is that it’s adaptable to any season or occasion, depending on the colour palette you choose. If you want your summer mood to last a bit longer, dip your fingertips into tropical pastels like coral, pink, aqua, and sea green. Switch to deeper, more jewel-toned inspired colour families—like emerald, amethyst, lapis—to transition the trend into winter.
And if you want something that’s festive or wedding-worthy, play around with metallics like copper, bronze, white gold, gunmetal, and pewter, anchored with traditional gold or silver.”
But not just fashion models, the best part about gradient nails is that anyone with five different bottles of nail polish can pull this off. The key to standing out is of course choosing your colours carefully. Some of the best combinations, according to Reena Chabbra, CEO, Nykaa Brands, are glossy soft greens going into sunny yellows, deep reds going to orange and ultimately peach, pastel pinks going to pastel browns and if you’re a little more experimental then a metallic combination of black going to gold, metallic black with increasing appearance of gold in the black or glitter combination of different hues of gold are sure to make your hands dazzle.
But can a manicure with multiple colours really change your look? “The harmony between makeup and nail polish has distinct visual appeal in every outfit. A well-manicured hand finished with striking nail paint creates a statement of elegance. You can uplift your entire makeup look by applying harmonic colours of nail polish. This gives you the power to appropriately glam it up or play it down for any look you desire,” says Vineeta Singh, CEO of SUGAR Cosmetics.
While gradients may seem like a super easy way to amp up your summer look, maintaining the manicure is an equally important task. Neeti Chopra, Skin and Hair Expert, Unwind Salon in Saket, New Delhi, believes that a good manicure goes a long way in maintaining good health for our nails and hands. “Firstly, ensuring that the place where you get your manicure done from uses clean, hygienic and sterilised tools, and equipment is very important to avoid any kind of infections. It is equally essential to ensure that the products used for the manicure are of good quality and do not cause any skin allergies or reactions post the manicure. It is a good idea to invest in a good cuticle oil to ensure strengthening of nails. Keeping your nails and hands dry at all times is essential as it prevents from any bacteria to grow under finger nails. Use a good moisturiser to keep your hands soft and well hydrated,” says Chopra.
So, the next time you go to paint your nails, instead of choosing one solid colour bring them all to the party.